No Time to Wait
A consumer survey by Limelight Networks found that Web site performance (streaming with no buffering, pages that load quickly, etc.) was the most important digital experience by a wide margin, far ahead of having fresh and updated content, delivering a consistent experience on mobile and desktop or providing personalized content. Six in 10 consumers are willing to wait less the 5 seconds for a page to load before bailing to a competitor.
Get Physical
Is it any wonder retailers, including traditional e-commerce brands, continue opening brick and mortar locations? According to figures from Cap Gemini, the physical store is still the favored destination for global shoppers, although only just ahead of Internet. When carrying out retail transactions, 72% of respondents identify the store as important or very important compared to 67% for the Internet. Only 14% of respondents strongly indicate that physical stores have become less important for them.
Share This
Social media spending currently accounts for 9.4% of marketing budgets and is expected to increase to 21.4% in the next five years, according to a survey of CMOs by Duke University. However, the 351 marketing leaders surveyed overwhelmingly report that proof lags spending, as only 15% of marketers report their companies can show the impact of social media using quantitative approaches.
51
Percent of online retail “visits” generated by a mobile device in August 2014, marking the first time in Branding Brand’s Mobile Commerce Index that the majority of online retail visits took place on a smartphone or tablet rather than a traditional desktop or laptop computer.
Deck the Halls?
While it seems like everyone complains about in-store holiday promotions arriving before Halloween, a survey by Bain & Co. found that about one-third of shoppers claim that early launches drive them crazy, while one-third are largely indifferent or find the displays “a little” annoying, and one-third say they love or like early holiday promotions. Those most likely to appreciate early promotions include shoppers under 45, those with children in their households and those with annual incomes under $20,000, who may welcome the chance to spread holiday spending over longer periods.
First Impressions
Shoppers certainly are more socially aware and connected than ever before, with greater access to information and news, heightened awareness of geopolitical matters and constant connection to the experience of other individuals. But when push comes to shove, brand impressions are still formed by the old standards: quality, cost and customer care, suggests a study from The Society for New Communications Research.
Wearable Winners
Slightly more than 6% of U.S. broadband households have a digital pedometer or fitness tracker, estimates Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, “so this market is still in the early stages of adoption.” But Fitbit is the clear early leader with nearly 40% of the market so far, says Parks Associates.
Cover Their Tracks
The technology may be ready, but consumers are overwhelmingly not open to in-store tracking, with 77% saying it is inappropriate for retailers to track their in-store behavior, say surveys from Opinion Lab, while nearly half say they would be less likely to shop at a store in which they knew they were being tracked.
